World Health Day 2018: Health For All

World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7th April across the world. The day marks the beginning of World Health Organization (WHO). The aim of the day is to draw attention of the people towards important global health issues.

WHO or World health Organization, is a working body under the UN which deals with issues and emergencies related to health on a global scale. It was founded on 7th April 1948 in Geneva and there it was decided to celebrate the World Health Day annually on 7^th of April. It was first celebrated globally in the year 1950. Ever since, WHO has come with a variety of themes for the Day.  Many events related to the theme are organized on the international and national level by the WHO. This year marks the 70th anniversary of World Health Day and the theme for this year is “Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere” and the slogan is “Health for All”. This time WHO is calling on world leaders to live up to the pledges they made when they agreed the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, and commit to concrete steps to advance the health of all people. This means ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardship.

World Health Day 2018: Health For All

In WHO’s 70^th anniversary year, the UN health agency is calling on world leaders to live up to the pledges they made when they agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, and committed themselves to take concrete steps to advance the health of all people. This goal includes ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardship. According to WHO, at least half of the world’s people are currently unable to obtain essential health services.

This year, World Health Day is dedicated to one of WHO’s founding principles: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.”

“Good health is the most precious thing anyone can have,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “When people are healthy, they can learn, work, and support themselves and their families. When they are sick, nothing else matters. Families and communities fall behind. That’s why WHO is so committed to ensuring good health for all.”

“Health for all” has therefore been our guiding vision for more than seven decades. It’s also the impetus behind the current organization-wide drive to support countries in moving towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” WHO said in a press release. Starting on World Health Day, WHO aims to inspire, motivate and guide universal health coverage stakeholders to make commitments towards UHC through a series of events in 2018.

Through a series of events in 2018, starting on World Health Day, WHO aims to inspire, motivate and guide UHC stakeholders to make commitments towards UHC:

• Inspire—by highlighting policy-makers’ power to transform the health of their nation and inviting them to drive policy change.
• Motivate—by sharing examples of how countries are already progressing towards UHC and encourage others to find their own path.
• Guide—by providing tools for conversations and structured policy dialogue on how to advance UHC domestically or supporting such efforts in other countries.

World Health Day 2018: Five ‘superfoods’ for optimal weight loss and fitness

Ensuring that you’re getting the right foods your body needs each day is the best thing you can do for your health. But even if you’re eating a mix of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins – all of which are essential for maintaining good health – chances are that you’re still making mistakes with your food choices without even realizing it. While a diet consisting plenty of fruits and veggies has a variety of health benefits, including weight loss, not all fruits and veggies, even the healthy ones, are created equal. This means each fruit and vegetable contains different amounts of nutrients that your body needs to function properly.

Therefore, knowing which foods to eat more and which ones to reduce can be hugely beneficial. This World Health Day, which is held on April 7 each year, make health a priority in the form of good food habits for a healthier you. And if you’re concerned about your diet and food habits, we provide a list of superfoods you should include in your daily diet. Adding these five foods to your daily diet will not only promote health but will also help you maintain a healthy weight.

1. Berries

Berries – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries – are packed with antioxidants, which are vital for a healthy life. Antioxidants are well-known to reverse and prevent heart disease and cancer among many other health benefits. Blueberries, which are considered an antioxidant powerhouse, are also high in vitamin C and fiber.

2. Apples

You probably have heard the famous adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. This means eating an apple each day can help you stay healthy. Extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fiber, apples help create better health, particularly in the areas of heart health, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and brain health.

3. Spinach

Spinach, like other dark green leafy vegetables, is a rich source of beta-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant that’s been shown to protect against and fight heart disease and cancer. Low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, spinach is loaded with nutrients that are good for every part of your body.

4. Green tea

Considered as the healthiest beverage on the planet, green tea contains a powerhouse of antioxidants. In fact, the antioxidant values in green tea are shown to be higher than those measured in fruits and vegetables. Catechin, an antioxidant in green tea, has been shown to reduce inflammation as well as help prevent cell damage in the body. Other health benefits of green tea include increased metabolism, which is extremely important for weight loss.

5. Eggs

Eggs are not only high in protein, they are also a powerhouse of essential nutrients and healthy fat that are good for your health. Low in calories, eggs are one of the best foods you can eat, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Several studies suggested that overweight women who ate eggs instead of bagels increased their feeling of fullness, making them to consume fewer calories over the next 36 hours.

Inputs from WHO official data